UN Refugee Agency lauds US assistance to Rohingya

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, lauded the announcement Monday by the United States of a fresh $50 million in humanitarian assistance for nearly one million Rohingya refugees living in precarious circumstances in Bangladesh.

“The United States has a respected humanitarian history and strong bipartisan support today for coming to the aid of refugees around the world in their hour of need,” said Matthew Reynolds, UNHCR Regional Representative for the United States and the Caribbean.

“Today’s announcement is another timely expression of this US tradition. We are, on behalf of the many refugees whose lives will be improved by it, truly grateful to the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration and our other partners in the US Administration and Congress for this life-saving humanitarian help,” Reynolds said.

The $50 million contribution announced by Acting Secretary of State John Sullivan at the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Toronto brought the US humanitarian response for Rohingya refugees to more than $163 million since August 2017 when the current crisis began.

It also came as UNHCR and other organizations race to ensure that over 900,000 Rohingya refugees and 330,000 vulnerable Bangladeshis in host communities are prepared for the Monsoon and Cyclone season which can have deadly consequences on vulnerable populations.

United Nations agencies and NGO partners last month issued a $951 million appeal to meet the urgent needs of the Rohingya humanitarian crisis.

Since August, the Rohingya influx has been the world’s fastest growing refugee crisis, with tens of thousands fleeing by land and sea from Myanmar daily at the peak of the emergency.

Contacts:

• In Washington DC, Chris Boian, [email protected], +1 202 243 7634